Rotary piston machine



April 350, 1940.

H I Hill? P. HEINS ROTARY PISTON MACHINE Filed July 24, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 30, 1940; HEIN 7 2,198,817

ROTARY PISTON MACH INE Filed July 24, 1936 {Sheets-Sheet? Patented Apr. 30, 1940 PATENT OFFICE mm rrs'ron mclmm Paul Reins, Hamburg, Germany Application July, 1938,. Serial No. 92,343

Germany August 2, 1935 4 Claims. (c1. ins-1:9)

My invention relates to rotary'machines which may be constructed as rotary combustion engines,-

rotary compressors, rotary pumps, and the like, and in which the pistons successively move or rotate in a casing at varying speeds alternately toward and away from each other being controlled in their movements by non-circular preferably elliptical toothed gear wheels operatively connected with said pistons.

The object of the present invention which more particularly concerns itself with internal combustion engines is to design an engine of this kind which will best answer all practical requirements.

15 According to this invention, I provide a pin-- raiity of successively rotating pistons, with which at least three eccentric, preferably elliptical toothed gear wheels are so connected that whenever two successive'pistons have to assume their 2 extreme positions, the effective lever arms ofthe toothed gear wheels,-operative1y connected, either directly or indirectly, with said pistons are 01 equal length. Preferably, as I have already stated, I use toothedwheels having the shape of 25 an ellipse and which rotate about one focal point,

or, in other words, move confocally; These elliptical wheels, which may have only a slight eccentricity, are carried by the piston-shafts and by counter shafts rotatablymounted in a separate 0 cage. The latter and the rotating pistons are enclosed in a vstationary casing, through which passes the main shait and which preferably is made of two parts.

The arrangement is such that a state of balance attained and only useful forces act on the main shaft and the gear wheels. A smooth combustion chamber is provided, and because of the track of the rotating. pistons,,.being completely surrounded by water, overheating can not occur. Because of their continuous travel, the pistons provide for a good distribution of the heat, since they only reenter the combustion zone after having moved through a considerable distance. The 45 comparatively large inlet and outlet controlled by the rotating pistons.

0n the annexed drawingspn which Ihave, by way of illustration, diagrammatically shown two embodiments of an internal combustion engine 50 involving the principles of my invention, l

Fig. 1 is. a section through a tour-stroke internal-combustion engine provided with iour pistons, the section being taken along line 1-1 in Fig. 2. (It is assumed that the gearing has turned soxfar that the long principal axes of the ellipports are tical toothed gears are in the plane of the draw- 1 85.)

Figs. 2 and 3 show the pistons in the extreme positions. V g

Figs. 4, 5 and 6, drawn to a smaller scale, are dietail viewsshowing the parts in various positons;

Fig. 7 is a sectional detail view.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10, drawn to a smaller scale, are further detail views various positions. o

Fig. 11 is a broken-oft view of a means for controlling the admission and exhaust ports.

Figs. 2 and 3 show the pistonsin two extreme positions, the-position shown in Fig. 2. being as- 15 'sumed to" be the position, in which the pistons 01' each group are closest to each other, whilethe various positions of theltoothed gear wheels at one of the extreme positions of the engine pistons. As shown, asymmetrical position of the countershafts bearing the gear wheels has been selected, and the engine pistons appearin throughthe broken portions belong to the elliptical toothed gear wheels shown in, the particular 3 figure. The threeflgures when superposed result in a picture of the entire engine, aside from,

some details of a practical embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing a particular modification of the gearing.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10, drawn like Figs. 4-6 to a reduced scalepshow the variouspositions oi the toothed gear wheels at one of the extreme positions-of the engine pistonswithi reference to the modification shown in Fig. '7. As in Figs. 4, 5

and 6, a symmetrical position'of the counter- 40 shafts bearing the toothed gear wheels has been selected. The engine pistons visible through the broken out portions belong tothe elliptical toothed gear wheels shown in' the particular flg- At 5 in Fig. 1 is shown a casing whichis preferably made in two or more parts so that it can be opened to give access to the working parts enclosed therein. At {inside the casing is shown a circular track for the rotating pistons I, 2, 3 5o and 4,0! which pistons only I and 4 are visible .in Fig. 1. The pistons which are arranged in pairs are carried by annular disks, one being shown at I, which carries the pistons I and 3,.

showing the parts in while the other shown at 8 carries the pistons 2 and 4. The pistons ofeach pair are offset relative to each other 180, as shown in Figs. 2 and 8, so that the pistons of each pair are disposed diametrically opposite each other. Because of this arrangement, there always follows, in the tubular piston track 6, upon a piston of one pair a piston of another pair so that the piston track is always divided into four separate chambers or cylinders. At II is shown the main shaft extending through the center of casing 5 and being rotatably journalled in bearings not shown. By

meansof hollow shafts shown at I2 and I3, the annular disks I and 8 carrying the pistons'are operatively connected with said main-shaft, which passes through hollow shaft l2, the latter in turn passing through hollow shaft I3. At 9 and II} are shown elastic couplings, by means of which said hollow shafts are operatively connected with main shaft II.

Onhollow shaft I2 are confocally secured two elliptical toothed gear wheels 2| and '22, which, like the corresponding pistons I and 3 are relatively offset 180 and are secured; to shaft I2 wheels shown at 23 and 24 are secured to hollow shaft I3 also in'a definite position relative to the pistons 2 and 4.

in a definite position relative to pistons I and 3. In a similarmannentwo elliptical toothed gear At I6 is shown a cage, which is secured to main shaft II and functions as a fiy-wheel. In said cage are rotatably journalled two. stuibor countershafts I4 and I5 being disposed diametrically opposite toeach other as shown in Fig. 1.

'To the countershaft I4 are secured two ellipticaltoothed gearwheels 25 and 25 so as tomesh 1 respectively] with the elliptical toothed gear wheels 24 and 22. To countershaft I4 is more-- over secured a circuIar toothed gear wheel shown at 30. To the other countershaft I5 are'secured two ellipticaltoothed gear' wheels 21 and 28 which mesh respectively with the elliptical toothed gear wheels 23 and 2I. To shaft I5 moreover is likewisefsecured a circular toothed gear wheel shown at 3I. At 29 is shown a circular toothed gear wheel which may be secured to the casing 5 in different rotatablyadjusted positions relative thereto. The toothed gear wheels 30' and. 3| are in mesh with this normally fixed toothed gear wheel 29, through which passes the main shaft II. For the sake of symmetry, the eccentricity of all the elliptical toothed gear wheels is the same.

, At H in Fig; 1 are shown rolleror ball-bearings, while at 'l 8 is, shown an annular space surrounding the piston track 6 and adapted for the circulation of cooling-water. At I9 and 20 are shown sealing means, whereasat32 is shown an oil trough in the bottom of casing 5. At 33 and 34,are shown inlet and outlet ports, while at 35 is indicated a spark plug. 1

Let it be assumed that in Fig. 2 the pistons occupy one of their extreme end positions, in which piston 4 has moved toward piston Iand piston 3 has moved toward piston 2 as closely as permissible by the eccentricity of the corresponding elliptical toothed gear-wheels. This is the starting position of the engine. mixture has been compressed between the pistions 4 and I and will be ignited by the spark plug shown at 35.

to casing 5 and rotate about their axes through.

an angle of then the four pistons I, 2, 3

The fuel and '4, ifthey rotate in clockwise direction, will for a given eccentricity of the elliptical toothed gear wheels move from the positions shown in Fig. 2 to the positions shown in Fig. 3, in which positions pistons I and 2 and 3 and 4 have 5 moved as close to each other as possible, pistons I and 3 having rotated as many degrees more than"180 as pistons 2 and 4 have rotated less than 180. Then, after the countershafts I4 and I5 have been rotated another 180", that 10 is to say, have made a complete revolution, the pistons again will have reached the positions shown in Fig. 2. Thus, every piston has made a rotation of 360.

However, if the pistons are to be used, as in 1' an internal combustion engine, to control the inlet and outlet ports, the position of the pistons relative to the casing as shown in Fig. 3 can not i be used, since the spark plug as well as the inlet broken lines in Figs. 2 and 3 are fixed in the casing. Therefore, the control of these inlet and outlet ports and the timing of the ignition by the rotating pistons can be achieved if the countershafts I4 and I5 are permitted to rotate ll simultaneously with the pistons at a definite ratio relative thereto. It is for this purpose that on the two countershafts, in addition to the elliptical toothed gear wheels normal toothed wheels 33 and 3I respectively are secured, which a as the cage I3 rotates roll over the stationary toothed gear wheel- 29 (Fig. 1).- By a proper selection'of the number of teeth in the two toothed gear wheels 33 and 3i with regard to the points of inlet, exhaust and ignition, the required movement of the rotating pistons relative to casing 5 from and into the diiferent working positions is obtained. By the fact that the countershafts, by reason of 'the construction. referred to, are twice rotated, while the pis- 0 tons rotate only once, four piston strokes are obtained, for in this way, the pistons are moved twice toward and away from each other during one complete rotation of the same. Whenever two successive pistons pass definite points of u the casing, the said two pistons will at those points always be spaced the same distance from each other. The elliptical toothed gearwheels 2|, 22 and 23, 24, to enablethe pistons to move toward 0 and away from each other to the proper positions, must be secured to the piston shafts I2 and I3 respectively in a definite position relative to the'pistons; they must, in other words, be adjusted relative to the pistons. This also ap- 55 plies to the elliptical toothed wheels 25, 23, 21 and 23 in mesh therewith and secured to the countershafts I4 and I5 respectively. The principle involved determines that the rotating pis-, tons occupy their extreme end'positions when w the effective lever arms of the elliptical gear wheels secured thereto are of equal length. Or, in other words, if with respectto the operation of the engine, the maintenance of the pre-- scribed relative piston spacings, their positions in the casing, the control of the inlet and outlet ports by the pistons, the ignition, etc. it is necessary for the pistons to assume their extreme end positions "as shown in Fig. 2, thatthe efl'ective lever arms of the corresponding elliptical toothed 79 gear wheels 2I-, 22, 23 and" must be of equal length. It is essential that the elliptical toothed wheels 2I and 22, as has already been mentioned above, are oflset relative to each other 180 and correctly mesh with the corresponding elliptical u gearwheels on the countershafts. The same,

of course, applies 23 and 24.

As shown in Fig. 2, piston 4 has moved close to pistonl while piston 2 has moved close to piston 3, as permitted by the selected eccentricity and the adjustment of the pistons relative to the corresponding elliptical toothed gear wheels 2l--24.

Pistons 4 and I have compressed a previously admitted fuel mixture, which is about to: be

.ignited. Because of the advance of one piston relative to the other, the two pistons "will move away from each other, and the first cycle commences. If the pistons'move in clockwise direction, the working pressure between pistons I and 2 has expanded its force and these two pistons now are spaced away from each other as far as possible, and outlet port 34' will be opened, and

' the exhaust begins. Between pistons 2 and 3 the exhaust iscompleted, and outlet port 34' has been closed, while inlet port 33 is 'being opened to admit a fresh supply of fuel mixture. Between pistons 3 and 4 however, the drawing in of the fuel mixture has been completed, and inlet port 33 is now closed again. Piston 3 will move toward piston 4, the compression will start, andthe same cycle will commence. When' during the first cycle the pistons. 4 and I effected the compression, pistons 3 and 4 will effect the compression during the following dycle, then pistons 2 and 3, and so forth, the pistons while rotating always giving up their place to the next succeeding piston. In Fig. 2, for example, the

position of piston I, when the same has. moved to the position of piston 2 is taken by piston .4,- whereas piston 3 will occupy the place of piston 4, etc. etc. r v

The movement of the rotating pistons and their proper relative positions in the casing are aside from the timing means controlled by the elliptical j toothed wheels, and as has been stated before, when as shown in Fig. 2, two successive pistons, by reason of their corresponding elliptical toothed gear wheels have to assume their extreme positions, (see pistons 4 and l in Fig. 2 at or near.

the ignition point), the effective lever. arms of the controlling elliptical toothed gear wheels are of'equal length.

, As'shown .in Fig. 1,;there are 'provided'for the shafts l2 and I 3' which connect the rotating pistons or the annular diskscarrying the same with the elliptical toothed gear wheels controlling the movement of the pistons intermediate couplings 9 and II! which are'elastic so as to receive and damp the shocks which occur in explosion engines, and also to allow'for certain slight play relative to th'e elliptical toothed gear wheels.

Thesaid couplings also may be made adjustable,

which permits the ,position of the pistons relative to their corresponding elliptical toothed gear wheelsto be easilycorrected.

By a simple interchange of the inlet and exhaust pipes, the direction of rotation of "the of pistons is connected by elliptical toothed gear wheels to a countershaft and each countershaft rolls independently on the casing Such a modification is shown, for example in Figs. 7 to 10.

In Fig.7, 36 and 31 designate two coupling members, which similarly to the showing of Fig. 1 must be connected with the corresponding .cou-

pling elements of the pistons or the annular disks carrying them. 86 is connected or formed with the hollow shaft 4|, to which is secured at one to the ellipticaltoothed wheels P tons can be reversed. However, the construction can be so modified that each congruent group of its focal points the elliptical toothed gear wheel 44. The coupling member 31 is connected orformed with the hollow stub-shaft 39, to which is secured at oneof its focal points the elliptical toothed gear wheel 45. At 38 is shown the rotatable central main shaft to which is secured the cage 43. The latter is provided with peripherally adjustable bearings in which are journalled the two counter-shafts shown' at 4| and 42, which besides being rotatable about their own axes also have a circumferential rotation about the .main shaft. To the countershaft 4| is confocally' secured an elliptical toothed gear wheel shown at 46, which meshes with the el-r' lipticaltoothed gear wheel 45. To shaft. 4| is further secured concentrically therewith a" circular toothed gear wheel shown at 50, which is in mesh with-and adapted to roll on a toothed circular gear wheel 48 adjustably secured to the casing 54. In a similar manner, an elliptical toothed gear wheel shown at "and secured to the countershaft 42 meshes with the elliptical toothed gear wheel 44, whereas a circular toothed 1 gearwheel 5| concentrically secured to countershaft 42 meshes with and is adapted to roll on toothed circular gear wheel 49 rotatably adjustably secured to the casing 54. For the purpose of adjustment, the toothed gear wheels 48 and 49 are provided with outwardly projecting portions 52 and 53 respectively. By a simple rotary adjustment of the parts 52 and 53 and thereby of the gear wheels 48 and 49, as indicated by the two small arrows in Fig. 10, the compression ratio is easily varied. 1 ,Theadiustnlent, 01' course, must be exactly alike for both of the t'oothed gearwheels 48 and 49 if the symmetric position of the pistons relative to thesymmetrical lines of, the

surrounding casing as shown in the drawings shall be maintained. v

The inlet and exhaust ports are preferably formed by grou'ps or rows of holes. In this manner and by the ports being positioned outside the pressure zone proper, the timing points either individually or conjointly can be readily varied even during the operation of the engine, which' is accomplished by the closing.' of some of the holes.- Such'an arrangement is shown, for ex be moved in either direction as indicated by'the double arrows shown in Fig. 11. As shown in this figure. the two slides'respectively time the opening of the outlet-=or exhaust port and the closing of the inlet or fuel admission port.

, It' may here once more be pointed out that the.

eccentricity of the elliptical toothed gear wheels is very slight, as will also appear from the draw-' ings. In fact an eccentricity (e) of only 0.15 is required, the axes of the elliptical gear wheels having then the ratio of 120.988. Therefore, the

. deviation from the circular shape is extremely slight, and in -engines with a greaternumber N of pistons, it. is even still less. Also I w.shto pointout that the elliptical toothed gear wheels are preferably secured to their respective shafts L at one of their focal points and not centrally, as has been proposed heretofore.

For machines provided with confocally rotatingellipticalgearwheelsasintheembodiment shown in the drawings, the eccentricty of the elliptical gear wheelsmay be calculated as follows:

The linear eccentricity Herein a is half the major axis of the ellipse, and 2a is to be regarded as determined constructionally by the size ofthe gearwheels, since this length is like the spacing of the axes of the shafts carrying the mutually engaging gear wheels. For It must be inserted the single stroke in angular degrees (360 degree division), the stroke in) being the difference between the greatest and the smallest distance of the pistons from each other.

ferences of pressure have to be provided for.

Prominent features are also the smooth combustion chamber, flat piston surfaces and short inlet and exhaust pipes without any branches, tho the engine is a multichambered one and is operating like an engine having a plurality of cylinders. Overheating, either generally or locally, cannot occur since the .piston track 6 is com- 'pletely surrounded by a wateror air-cooled space ll. Because of their continuous rotation, thepistons provide for a good distribution of the heat, since they re-enter the combustion zone only after they have travelled through a considerable distance. And, as has been already mentioned above, control of the comparatively large inlet and outlet (exhaust) ports is effected by the rotating pistons themselves.

For sealing the chambers of the engine, I prefer to use, as shown in the drawings, a combination of surfaces indicated at is, having a neat sliding contact with a modified kind of labyrinth sealing faces indicated at 20, which is allowed as little radial play as possible, while it is allowed slightly more play in the axial direction whereby small spaces are formed in which the lubricating oil is trapped. I

In the construction shown'and described, four rotating pistons are provided set at 'an angle of 180, two opposite pistons, therefore, being directly connected, so that four successive chambers, each two separated by a piston, are formed. Obviously, engines with six, eight or more pistons can be built.

' While the construction above described and shown in the drawings is designed to be used as a four-stroke, four-cycle internal combustion engine having four pistons, it is obvious that a similar construction can also be used with'suitinternal combustion engine.

. I claim:

1. In an engine of the character described, a

circular cylinder having fluid inlet and outlet ports, a powershaft, a pair of pistons disposed in said cylinder for movement therethrough, a

non-circular gear-wheel connected to each piston for rotation therewith, other non-circular gearwheels in mesh with said first mentioned gearspaced apart relationship of the pistons relative to each other.

2. In an engine of the character. described, a circular cylinder having fluid inlet and outlet ports, a power shaft, a pair of pistons disposed .in said cylinder for movement therethrough, a

cage fixed to said power shaft for rotation therewith, a stub shaft carried by said cage for .rotation therewith bodily about said power shaft and for rotationon its own axis relative to said cage, 9. pair of non-circular gear wheelsv eccentrically mounted on said stub shaft, a pair-of non-cir-- cular gear wheels connected, respectively, with said pistons eccentrically with respect to the axis of rotation of said pistons and in mesh, respectively, with said first mentioned gear-wheels, a

third gear wheel on said stub shaft, and a nor-.

mally fixed gear wheel with which said third gear wheel meshes whereby the pistons are caused to approach and recede with respect to each other as they move through said cylinder, said normal ly fixed gear wheel being rotatably a justable to vary the angular positions of the pistons relative tionship of said pistons.

3. In an engine of the character described, a

circular cylinder having fluid inlet and outlet ports, a power shaft, a pair of pistons disposed insaid cylinder for movement therethrough, a cage fixed to said power shaft for rotation therewith, a pairof stub shafts carried by said cage.

for rotation therewith bodily about said power shaft and 'for rotation on their own axes relative.

to said cage, 9. non-circular gear wheel eccentrically mounted on each stub shaft, a non-circular gear wheel connected with each piston eccentrically with respect to the axis of rotation .of the pistons and in mesh with one of said first-mentioned gear wheels, a second gear wheel mounted on each stub shaft, and a pair of normally fixed gear wheels with which said second gear wheels mesh, respectively, whereby the pistons are caused to approach and recede relative to each other as they move through said cylinder, said normally fixed gear wheels being rotatably adjustable to vary the angular positions of the pistons relative to the cylinder for any given spaced apart relationship of the pistons.

4. An engine as set forth in claim 1 including shock absorbing elastic means interposed between the pistons and the gear wheels connected therewith.

to the cylinder for any given spaced apart rela- PAUL HEIRS. 10 

